CASE STUDY Can tourism in the Global South ever be truly sustainable? Hospitality and Tourism Senior lecturer, Simon Faulkner, challenged his students to take a clear position: does tourism in a Global South destination help to advance the UN’s SDGs on decent work, reduced inequalities and responsible consumption, or does it reproduce the inequalities it claims to tackle? Three students rose to the challenge, publishing their arguments on the Good Tourism Blog, a global platform amplifying diverse and marginalised voices in sustainable travel. Calliope, Prashanna and Regan drew on analysis from Kenya, Zanzibar and Morocco respectively, bringing critical, evidence-led thinking to a question that sits at the heart of sustainable development. CURRICULUM Establish student and staff sustainability resource hubs by 2026 SDG MAPPING SUPPORTING SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH CURRICULUM FOR THE FUTURE EMPOWERED LEARNING AND TEACHING All senior management levels certified in Sustainability Management by 2027 Explore Specialist Status in Education for Sustainable Development (ETF × EAUC) in 2026 Seek to appoint ESD manager by 2026 Sustainability is now a core part of the learning experience at University College Birmingham. Our curriculum helps students understand the world they are entering and the contribution they can make to it, building the confidence, knowledge and agency needed for a more sustainable future. We are embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals across all programmes and introducing an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework spanning Further Education (FE), Higher Education (HE) and apprenticeships. Staff will be supported through tailored CPD and specialist resources, while students benefit from ISEP-accredited modules, live briefs and practice-based research – developing the critical thinking and technical expertise required for an inclusive, green economy. CURRICULUM Enhancing everyday education and inspiring innovative thinking by providing education for sustainable development. Embedding the Sustainable Development Goals across our curriculum empowers students to critically engage with global challenges and actively contribute to sustainable solutions. Innovative approaches to integrating the SDGs are already emerging across our programmes, and we will continue to champion these practices, support their cross-disciplinary dissemination, and evaluate their impact on student engagement and sustainability learning. Michelle Callanan, Deputy Dean for Quality Assurance and Enhancement Curriculum Working Group lead for our Sustainability Steering Board LOOKING AHEAD 2025-2030: A SELECTION OF ACTIONS WE’RE TAKING ACROSS OUR CURRICULUM Conduct an ESD Impact Assessment Establish an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework across HE, FE, Sixth Form, apprenticeships and all new provisions by 2026 All HE courses SDG-mapped by 2027 SDG criteria embedded within product quality evaluation management processes Aiming for continuous improvement on mapping scores Support students’ projects on sustainability across all academic provisions Establish an Open Science Framework (OSF) depository for sustainability research We’re an ISEP Accredited Training Centre, meaning our sustainability modules meet professional industry standards. Our Business School has also signed up to two internationally recognised frameworks: PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education), a UN-supported initiative embedding ethics and sustainability into business education worldwide; and BGA (Business Graduates Association), a global accreditation body that focuses heavily on responsible management, sustainability, and a measurable positive impact on students, employers, and local communities. Together, these commitments signal that the way sustainability is taught is recognised and held to account by the bodies that set the standard. DID YOU KNOW? UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2025–2030 19 UNIVERSITY COLLEGE BIRMINGHAM SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2025–2030 18
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